What's Wrong With Sweet Potatoes?

OP
A

Anonymous

Guest
Westside PUFAs said:
JRMoney15 said:
> Hi Dr. Peat,
>
> What is your recommendation for the best way to treat chronic hemorrhoids? I have had itchiness in the anus for at least 5 years now, and nothing seems to work effectively.
>
> Your time is greatly appreciated.
>
> Thank you.

"It usually involves inflammation of the intestine, so avoiding foods that are hard to digest/that support bacterial growth will often stop the problem. Sweet potatoes, green salads, breads are typical problematic foods."

Can you please forward that email to someone like Dan Wich who can verify that it is really sent from RP's email? Thanks.

Lol you serious? I emailed (moderator removed email address)
 

tara

Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2014
Messages
10,368
I have heard one or two NZ Maori talk about getting sick of eating kumara (sweet potatoes) at every meal, and considering white potatoes a welcome change. Kumara were a common staple before european potatoes arrived and became widespread.

I think Peat has said that it is common for people in a hypothyroid state to have trouble converting carotene to vit A. I've also heard vit B12 is required for the conversion, so people who have inadweequate B12 intake or absorption could be expected to have trouble with it. Kind of agrees with pboy's point, but on the other hand a good many of us are here because we are not in full health, so it's quite relevant for some of us.

Personally, I became averse to sweet potatoes during both pregnancies, shortly after becoming averse to carrots and just before going off pumpkins. I assume it was too much carotene for me at the time, but maybe there was something else in there too.
Eventually I regained my taste for occasional kumara and pumpkin, and eat them from time to time, but I don't think I could eat them every day.
I think my skin has become pinker over the last year or two of eating less carotene, which is what I was hoping for.

I'd be watching for any sign of yellow/orange skin and callouses, and any sense of distaste for them, and consider how your gut etc is handling the fibre etc, and be guided by those indicators.
 

Jennifer

Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2014
Messages
4,635
Location
USA
Westside PUFAs said:
But at the same time, as with many scientists, his quotes are also little contradictory, such as the milk versus 4-6 pounds of potatoes and nearly perfect foods quote.
I agree!

tara said:
I'd be watching for any sign of yellow/orange skin and callouses, and any sense of distaste for them, and consider how your gut etc is handling the fibre etc, and be guided by those indicators.
I agree!
 

PeatReader

Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2019
Messages
45
Here's what ray says (although video title says sweet potatoes it sounds like he's talking about carrots)



"Unless your thyroid is pretty active, it's going to accumulate..the carotene.. if for some reason you're getting more carotene than your vitamin B12 and thyroid can handle then it turns off the thyroid function..."
 

PeatReader

Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2019
Messages
45
I'd be watching for any sign of yellow/orange skin and callouses, and any sense of distaste for them, and consider how your gut etc is handling the fibre etc, and be guided by those indicators.

Can you elaborate on the callouses? What's the significance of those?
 

tara

Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2014
Messages
10,368
Can you elaborate on the callouses? What's the significance of those?
The callouses are thicker layers of skin. I think it might sometimes be easier to see yellow/orange colour issues there, although the turnaround is slower.
 

PeatReader

Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2019
Messages
45
The callouses are thicker layers of skin. I think it might sometimes be easier to see yellow/orange colour issues there, although the turnaround is slower.

Oh ok I wasn't sure if you were saying the callouses themselves were a sign of something (e.g. a deficiency)
 

Dave Clark

Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2017
Messages
1,978
There are varieties of sweet potatoes that are white in the flesh, so I would have to assume less carotene due to less/no color. I believe the varieties are Japanese type sweet potatoes. I buy them al the time in the local whole food/health stores. The skin may have carotenes since it is reddish or purplish in color, but the flesh is white rather than orange in color.
My search showed that the white variety has about 700 mg/100 gm of beta-carotene, as opposed to one analysis that showed the orange variety at about 11,000 mg/100 gm. One note though is that the analysis of the orange variety had a wide range of results, but the average was at least doubled the white variety, and many were five to ten times as much. I think the take away is that if you are trying to avoid carotenes, then use the white variety.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Aug 14, 2019
Messages
159
Location
The Lone Star State
This study should help you out, as well as anyone else trying to limit vitamin A/ beta carotene consumption:

Metabolic diversity in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas, Lam.) leaves and storage roots

Stick with the white or purple flesh varieties. It's too bad that the orange varieties have a higher sugar content. Perhaps someone out there is working on breeding a white or purple variety with the sweetness and moistness of the orange varieties. The white ones like Hannah or Jersey are fine but their sugar content is often so low that it's better to use them in savory applications.

Something I noticed with last year's crop was that a large percent of the Japanese sweet potatoes had an off flavor. I think the plant produces phytochemicals in response to insect or fungal attack like the Irish potato does with solanine. Whatever it was it made them borderline inedible. I'm not sure if it's safe to eat them when they are like that.
 

jet9

Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2018
Messages
607
This study should help you out, as well as anyone else trying to limit vitamin A/ beta carotene consumption:

Metabolic diversity in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas, Lam.) leaves and storage roots

Stick with the white or purple flesh varieties. It's too bad that the orange varieties have a higher sugar content. Perhaps someone out there is working on breeding a white or purple variety with the sweetness and moistness of the orange varieties. The white ones like Hannah or Jersey are fine but their sugar content is often so low that it's better to use them in savory applications.

Something I noticed with last year's crop was that a large percent of the Japanese sweet potatoes had an off flavor. I think the plant produces phytochemicals in response to insect or fungal attack like the Irish potato does with solanine. Whatever it was it made them borderline inedible. I'm not sure if it's safe to eat them when they are like that.
great find, thanks for share!
 

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom